Hours after police cleared Portland State University’s Millar Library on Thursday morning, a small group of people worked to re-establish an encampment, covering a chain-link fence with tarps and getting back inside the building.
It was unclear how many people got into the library around 6 p.m., but people could be seen moving past some of the five-story building’s windows.
A crowd of about 150 people, many dressed in black and wearing masks looked on from the South Park Blocks. An organizer yelled, “if you have visible tattoos cover them. Cover your eyebrows. Cover your mouths.”
Dozens of police officers returned, ordered the crowd to break up and leave, and made eight arrests. Overall, police arrested 30 people throughout the day, according to preliminary figures released by Portland police.
The latest clash capped a volatile day at the downtown campus that drew hundreds of onlookers, students and protesters who variously milled about, chanted, shouted and at one point threw a volley of bottles after police cleared the library and then maintained a visible presence for hours around the building before leaving.
A PSU spokesperson said university officials didn’t realize police would be pulling back from the library, which is near several dorm complexes.
In an email at 7:30 p.m., Mike Benner, a Portland police spokesman, wrote that officers had moved back in and cleared the area. The crowds did leave the area near the PSU library, marching east away from campus.
In a 10 p.m. news release, Portland police wrote that they’d “secured the library with plywood and erected a fence, and as planned, Portland officers left the scene.” The press release acknowledged that people tore down the fence and got back into the library. The release said that “officers will continue to monitor for criminal activity and will make arrests when lawful and appropriate.”
The release stated seven officers suffered injuries Thursday, including a “serious knee injury” that required ambulance transport.
Occupation of the library began on Monday and school officials canceled classes for the next three days. A tour of the library late Thursday showed much graffiti on the walls, damage to ceilings and trash.
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